


In These Arms, Part VII: Everything Changes (But You)

by mrpicard



Series: Star Trek: TNG - In These Arms [7]
Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: The Next Generation (Movies)
Genre: Character Death, Divorce, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-17
Updated: 2015-09-05
Packaged: 2018-03-31 00:05:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3956950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrpicard/pseuds/mrpicard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tragic accident, old friends and new horizons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Personal log, Commander Martin Madden. I have taken a few days off in order to go mountain hiking on Fordan IV with my friend Will Riker. We both plan on having a great time._

 

 

"Dammit, Martin," Riker panted. "Wait a second!"  
  
Madden stopped walking and turned around. "You're getting slow, old man."  
  
"I'm not an old man - _you_ are running," Riker complained, wiped the sweat off his face and took the bottle of water from his belt. "I wonder what possessed me to agree to go on this trip with you."  
  
Madden grinned, walked back to Riker and reached out his hand. "Give me your backpack. I'll carry it for you."  
  
"The hell you will," Riker growled and drank some water. "You're worse than Deanna."  
  
Madden raised an eyebrow - so far Riker had not mentioned his soon-to-be ex wife at all.  
  
"It's alright," Riker said quickly. "You don't have to walk on eggshells around me just because Deanna and I are getting a divorce. It's not unusual - marriages fail all the time, especially those between Starfleet officers."  
  
Madden took a sip from his water bottle as well. "Maybe you can find a way to reconcile."  
  
"Nuh-uh." Riker shook his head. "There's too much history between us. Deanna and I should've stayed friends - which is just about the only thing we agree on these days." He looked up. "Be glad you aren't married."  
  
" _Me_? Getting married?" Madden put his bottle back into the little bag on his belt. "Hell, no."  
  
"I thought the same when I was aboard the Enterprise," Riker remarked. "That ship has a way of keeping you from making serious commitments."  
  
"It didn't seem to stop the captain last week."  
  
Riker smiled. "It used to - look at how many years it's taken him to finally decide to tie the knot. My observation still stands." He put his hand on Madden's shoulder. "Come on, let's go. We have to find a nice place for our tents before it gets dark."

 

**********

 

_Captain's personal log, supplemental. In light of recent events, my husband and I have decided to rearrange our shifts significantly. We are also both still adjusting to... certain changes._

 

   
"A little bit more to the left," Picard said and adjusted Alex' hand in which the young man was holding a small bottle of warm milk from which little Laurent was drinking eagerly. "That's it - you're getting better and better."  
  
"I never thought I'd actually be doing something like this," Alex said. "Especially not with my own child."  
  
"I never thought I'd actually be doing it _again_ ," Picard muttered.  
  
Alex slowly moved his arm so that Laurent's head was raised a little higher. "I'm going to take him with me to Eleven Forward later."  
  
"What?!" Picard exclaimed. "You can't be serious! A bar is hardly a suitable environment for a baby!"  
  
"In case you failed to notice - our shifts still overlap on Wednesday evenings for exactly two hours. I have to take him with me - you can pick him up when you go off duty."  
  
Picard frowned.  
  
Alex rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. I'll make sure his crib is absolutely and totally secured."  
  
"That's not what I'm worried about."  
  
"Then what? Someone accidentally giving him Romulan Ale?"  
  
"No, of course not."  
  
"Then _what_?"  
  
Picard stood up and tugged his uniform jacket into place. "If you take him with you, the crew will be all over him."  
  
"That's one _more_ reason to take him. We've been hiding him in here for over a week now, and the crew is on the verge of feeling insulted. They're your family - and therefore Laurent's family, too. They deserve to have a look at him."  
  
Silence.  
  
"You still think Q is going to take him away again, don't you? You think as soon as you show your son to the crew for the first time Q will show up and say it was all a joke."  
  
Picard said nothing.  
  
"He gave you his _word_! What more do you want from him? A contract?"  
  
"I don't know!" Picard began to pace. "This whole situation is... rather unnerving."  
  
"Why can't you just accept it? You're always eager to embrace new situations, so, why not this one?"  
  
Picard sighed. "We _have_ had this discussion before, Alexander."  
  
"And we will have it _again_." Alex slowly pulled the now empty bottle from Laurent's mouth. "I know that you need time, Jean-Luc - but you have to consider your crew on this one as well."  
  
"Yes, I know." Picard stopped pacing and looked back at his husband. "Alright, take him with you."

  
**********

  
  
"Boo!" LaForge gently poked Laurent's cheek.  
  
The baby giggled.  
  
"Let _me_ try," Mordock chimed in, raised his hand in which he was holding a rattle and began to shake it. "You like that?"  
  
Laurent looked at it – and giggled even louder.  
  
"Hah!" Mordock exclaimed triumphantly. "I knew he'd love it!"  
  
" _Another_ new toy?" Alex glanced at the small pile of baby toys on the bar. "You guys are spoiling him rotten."  
  
"Says the guy who replicated _this_ ," LaForge said and pointed at the huge plush Tribble that Alex had placed right next to the baby.  
  
"That's different. I may do this. I'm his father."  
  
" _And_ his mother," Mordock added.  
  
"Yup. A good reason for being twice as nice to him."  
  
"How's the captain dealing with this whole gift-from-Q baby issue?" LaForge asked.  
  
"He's trying to adjust," Alex said and handed an ice cream sundae to one of his waiters.  
  
"You don't seem to have any problems in that regard," Mordock observed.  
  
"That's mostly because I've been too busy with learning how to give Laurent his bottle. Or how to change his diapers. Jean-Luc's a good teacher, though."  
  
"I'm having a hard time imagining the captain changing diapers," LaForge remarked, trying very hard to keep a straight face.  
  
"Don't let _him_ hear that," Alex advised.  
  
"I know he's had children before, but those weren't on the Enterprise," LaForge said. "It's just a little difficult to think of him as the father of a little baby."  
  
" _And_ the mother," Mordock chimed in.

"Thanks for constantly reminding us," LaForge said dryly.  
  
"I guess we _all_ have some adjustment problems, huh?" Alex took an empty glass from the shelf behind him. "And now, silence please - I have to prepare a Samarian Sunset, and for that I need to concentrate."  
  
"We could take Laurent with us to our table," LaForge offered innocently. "That would give you the chance to prepare your drink in peace."  
  
Alex sighed. "Alright, take him. But please, no more toys, okay?"


	2. Chapter 2

 

"Martin, are you sure this is a good idea?“ Riker asked and peered over the edge of the cliff on which he was lying flat on his stomach.  
  
Madden, who was standing on a small ledge below, looked up and tugged at the rope next to him. "I'm fine, and I will continue to be just that as long as you don't let go of this when I climb back up - after I've paid a visit to this little cave down here, of course."  
  
"Is this really worth it? There are other ways of getting one's hands on a fluorescent hover rock."

"Yeah, but nothing beats getting an FHR right from the source. And this planet _is_ the source."  
  
"Is _that_ why you wanted to come here?" Riker asked.  
  
"Partly, yes."  
  
"You _do_ know that Laurent is just a baby, right? He won't even be able to appreciate this gift you're trying to get him."  
  
"And did _you_ know that FHRs are said to be a wonderful tool to calm down human babies?" Madden shot back.  
  
"Where did you hear that?"  
  
"Never mi- oh my God, there's an entire bunch of them down here! My tricorder must've attracted them somehow!"  
  
"Martin?!"  
  
The Enterprise's first officer seemingly disappeared into the wall. A few seconds later he returned, along with a hovering rock in front of him. He tried to grab it - and then he slipped on the wet ground and all Riker could do was watch helplessly how his friend vanished over the edge and fell with a piercing scream that only stopped when his body hit the water way, way below.


	3. Chapter 3

 

Riker looked through the huge window of Starbase 55's medical facility behind which Martin Madden was lying on a biobed. All around him were instruments, monitoring even the smallest abnormalities in his vital signs. However, monitoring was all that was left at this point - from what Riker had been told, his friend's injuries were so severe that he was not expected to survive the next few days.

"Will?"  
  
Riker turned around and found himself looking at a familiar face. " _Beverly_? What are _you_ doing here?"  
  
"Field work. Starfleet Medical is wonderful, but sometimes I simply have to go out into space again. I've been in this sector for two weeks - I just _had_ to come when I heard what happened." She looked through the window. "His doctor tells me that he fell down a cliff...? What was he doing there?"  
  
"He wanted to get a flourescent hover rock for Laurent. You know how hard to catch these things are. What's even worse is that he actually _did_ catch the one he was after. It was still in his hand when they pulled him out of the water and into the emergency shuttle."  
  
"It's good that help arrived so quickly," Crusher said. "He might still recover, there _have_ been -"

"Beverly, please," Riker interrupted. "I know what the prognosis is."

The two of them looked at Madden again.  
  
"It's all my fault," Riker whispered. "I should have been a lot more insistent when I tried to stop him."  
  
"I don't think he'd have listened; he's quite stubborn. Normally, I'd say that's a rather useful trait to have for a first officer."  
  
"Don't remind me - I haven't even been able to call the Enterprise," Riker said gloomily. "They're on a mapping mission in a remote sector. Martin was sure it would bore the hell out of him, which was why he arranged for shore leave in the first place. I was suprised that he wanted to spend it with _me_ instead of Phil, but -"  
  
"Phil?"

"His partner. He works in astrophysics aboard the Enterprise. The two of them were having problems lately, and Martin was looking for someone to give him advice." Riker laughed bitterly. "How ironic that, of all the people, he picked _me_."  
  
"I heard about Deanna and you. I'm so sorry."  
  
Riker waved his hand. "We should've known that as a couple we would argue about things we would have shrugged off as friends."  
  
"The danger of friendships that become relationships," Crusher mused. "When they fail, everything falls apart - including the former friendship."  
  
"At least _you_ were wiser when it comes to Jean-Luc."  
  
"There were a few tempting moments in the past, but I'm glad things are the way they are now. Besides, he has Alex these days."  
  
"And Laurent."  
  
"And Laurent, yes. Jean-Luc sent me a picture of him a few days ago. He's adorable."  
  
"From what Martin said, Mordock and Geordi told him that the entire crew is rather fond of him by now. It's why he wanted to get him something special."  
  
Crusher put her hand on her old friend's shoulder. "Martin's doctor told me that you've been standing here for hours. You need to rest."  
  
"The Titan will be here soon. I'll rest then."

"What about eating? I bet you haven't eaten anything all morning."

"I haven't."

"Then let's go and have lunch."

Riker sighed. "You're not going to let me off the hook, are you?"

"No."

"Alright, alright. Let's go."

 

***********

 

"How is he? Any changes?"  
  
" _It's nice to see **you** too, Jean-Luc,_ " Crusher said from the small screen on the desk in Picard's ready room.  
  
"Sorry." Picard smiled faintly. "Hello, Beverly."  
  
" _Hello,_ " she smiled briefly before the expression on her face became serious. " _I'm afraid I don't have good news. I've sent copies of Martin's medical files to Dr. Pulaski, and she agrees with me that his injuries are way too severe for him to survive._ "  
  
"No matter what happens, we're on our way at maximum warp. We'll be there in three days," Picard said. "I heard that Will's been with him...?"  
  
" _Not anymore. He left yesterday._ "  
  
"He left?"  
  
" _Yes, right after the Titan had arrived to pick him up._ "  
  
Picard frowned. "That doesn't sound like Will."  
  
Crusher shook her head. " _He didn't seem very much like himself in general. His father died a few weeks ago, he's about to face a divorce, and now this accident. I think he's reached the limits of what he can take_."  
  
"I'll try to contact him as soon as we're back in Federation space." Picard shifted in his chair and tugged his uniform jacket into place. "This was really one hell of a time for being out of communications range..."  
  
" _You were just doing what you're supposed to do: Exploring the unknown_ ," Crusher reminded him. " _By the way, Will told me that Martin has a partner aboard the Enterprise?_ "  
  
"Yes. Phil Newman. Why?"  
  
" _Does he know already?_ "  
  
"I talked to him earlier. He's rather shaken."  
  
" _I can imagine. Very well, in fact._ "  
  
They looked at each other in silence, both knowing which incident Crusher had just referred to.  
  
" _Anyway, I'll see you in three days. Until then, Jean-Luc. Oh and say hello to Alex and Laurent from me, will you?_ "  
  
"I will. Goodbye, Beverly."  
  
" _Bye_."


	4. Chapter 4

  
"You know what I did the last time I saw him?" Phil Newman slurred and slammed his empty glass on the bar. "I yelled at him for going off and carelessly wasting his vacation days on Captain Riker instead of waiting for _me_ to take a few days off after that mapping mission."  
  
Alex looked at the young astrophysics officer. "He told me, yes."  
  
"Of course he did. He always discussed our problems with everyone except me." Newman pointed at the glass. "Pour me another one, will you? The real stuff, of course."  
  
"I'd rather not. You've emptied almost an entire bottle of it already."  
  
"Then it won't hurt to give me the rest of it as well, now will it?"  
  
"Phil, I can't let you drink yourself into oblivion."  
  
"What the hell does it matter," Newman muttered. "At least I could join Martin there for a while."  
  
"There _is_ still a chance that he'll pull through."  
  
"Yeah, but how? If he makes it, he'll be nothing more than a vegetable. No one deserves to live like that."  
  
Alex sighed deeply - and then he reached into his special shelf below the counter, took the bottle of Saurian Brandy that had about a quarter of liquid left inside and handed it over to Newman. "Here. But, remember - you didn't get this from _me_."  
  
Newman took the bottle. "Thanks, Alex. You're a good man."

  
**********

 

Picard walked into his quarters and could not help but smile when he saw Alex sitting on the couch with Laurent, who was drinking eagerly from a small bottle of milk that the bartender was holding.  
  
"Good evening, you two. Dinner time already?"  
  
"Hey." Alex adjusted the bottle slightly. "He kept whining and whining, so I thought what the hell, it won't hurt to give him his dinner drink a little earlier than usual."  
  
"Spoken like a true bartender," Picard remarked, put the PADDs that he had brought with him on his desk and then sat down next to his husband.  
  
"Speaking of Eleven Forward - I think I'll give him his evening bottle here from now on instead of doing it there," Alex said. "It just gets too busy there around this time."  
  
"That many customers?"  
  
"It's the shift change. Today it's particularly bad - I have to get back as soon as possible. I'm really glad you're here to take over for me."  
  
"Of course. I'm free all evening."  
  
Alex slowly handed both bottle and baby to his husband. "I never thought this whole re-arrangement of our shifts would work so well."  
  
"If it becomes too difficult, we can still look for a nurse, or -"  
  
"No," Alex objected immediately. "I'm gonna take care of my son myself, no matter what. Besides, if everything fails, you can always take him with you to the ready room."  
  
"Alexander, you know as well as I do that a baby has _no_ place on a starship bridge."  
  
"I said ready room."  
  
"Same thing - what if there's an emergency and I have to be on the bridge?"  
  
"Where could Laurent go? He can't even crawl yet."  
  
"It would be utterly irresponsible to -"  
  
"Relax, relax - I was just teasing." Alex grinned. "But it is funny to imagine Admiral Nechayev coming to visit and insisting on holding Laurent - who would then hopefully decide to have one of his puking fits."  
  
"Now, now. Admiral Nechayev is still a well-respected -"  
  
"Oh come on, Jean-Luc. We both know you can't stand her."  
  
Picard made a face.  
  
Alex chuckled. "No, seriously - I know you can't take Laurent with you." He stood up. "That won't save you from this baby nightshift, though."  
  
"I wouldn't _want_ to be saved." Picard slowly pulled the now empty bottle out of his son's little mouth. "There... all gone." He raised an eyebrow and looked at the baby. "We really were quite hungry, weren't we?"  
  
Alex smiled at the sight. "You know, a little more than a week ago you were yelling at Q - _and_ me - because of Laurent's sudden presence. And now look at you."  
  
Picard shrugged. "A good captain knows when to fight and when not to fight."  
  
"Sun Tzu, huh?"  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Alex took his tux jacket from a nearby chair and put it on. "Fighting or not fighting, I really have to go back to Eleven Forward now. I just hope I won't run into Phil Newman again."  
  
Picard frowned. "Newman was in the bar?"  
  
"Yes, he was. He's utterly devastated - and also hopelessly drunk by now."  
  
"You didn't."  
  
"I _did_. I'd rather have him pass out from a bottle of Saurian Brandy than something a lot worse. At the very least the brandy will make him sleepy - he didn't look like as if he's had much sleep lately."  
  
Picard sighed. "This is such a terrible tragedy. And it's not over yet - in more than one regard."  
  
Alex walked up to a small mirror on the wall and adjusted his bow tie. "What do you mean?"  
  
"It's Will. I tried to speak to him earlier - his bridge crew had to call him three times before he even responded. And when we talked... well, he wasn't the Will Riker I know. He seemed downright depressed. Beverly already told me about this, but I thought she was exaggerating." Picard began to clean Laurent's mouth with a napkin. "But now it really does seem to me like as if he's having problems of a personal nature."  
  
"Maybe you should ask Deanna?" Alex suggested. "If there's anyone who knows him even better than you do, it's her."  
  
"Hmm." Picard put the napkin away. "It's a rather delicate situation. I don't want to pry."  
  
"I don't think she'd mind. You could call her right now while Laurent's still awake. She's been wanting to say hello to him ever since you sent her the pictures of him." Alex walked up to the door. "I'll be back in about three hours. See you then."  
  
"Very well... and please, no more Saurian Brandy for Phil Newman."  
  
"Alright, alright."


	5. Chapter 5

 

 

Picard looked at the assembled members of the crew in front of him and then glanced at the modified torpedo in the corner of the torpedo bay into which Martin Madden's body had been put. Despite Starbase 55's best efforts, the first officer had died shortly before the Enterprise had arrived, leaving Picard with nothing but this one last solemn duty to perform.  
  
He took a deep breath before he began to speak. "I remember the day on which Commander Madden and I first met. Will Riker, making one last joke before leaving the Enterprise to take command of the Titan, had apparently told him that I preferred to be on a non-formal basis with my crew; which my new first officer took as an invitation to call me by my first name - much to my irritation." Faint smiles appeared here and there on the faces of the crew. "I must admit, in that moment I thought I had made the wrong choice: A rather inexperienced and - compared to me - young man as the first officer of the flagship suddenly did not seem to be as wise as it had seemed in theory. But Commander Madden proved me wrong in no time. He became a reliable source of advice and, much like his predecessor, an expert on when to make the occasional joke on the bridge to lighten the mood. He performed his duty with diligence and authority; and he was also a fine man and a very, very good friend." Picard paused briefly before he continued. "His will stated that he wished for his body to be shot into space without much of a ceremony or unnecessary speeches surrounding the proceedings. We shall do as he asked."  
  
He nodded at a visibly shaken Commander Burke, who raised his hand in which he was holding a small whistle, which he then blew briefly. The crew snapped to attention and remained that way while the torpedo coffin slid into the torpedo launcher, the doors closed and then, with a loud 'clang', the torpedo was launched.  
  
Phil Newman, who was standing in the first row next to Dr. Pulaski, wiped his tears away and then looked at the item that he was holding in his hand - and his gaze remained on it until Picard gave the "dismissed" order, ending the funeral. Only then did he force himself to focus back on the moment and to walk up to Picard, who was just stepping down from the small podium that had been put up.  
  
"Captain?"  
  
Picard looked up and his face softened when he saw who had approached him. "Lieutenant."  
  
"I wanted to thank you for your speech - and I also wanted to give you something." Newman raised his hand and released the item. It rose into the air and then hovered between the two men. "Dr. Crusher gave it to me; it's the hover rock that Martin died getting. She said I should have it, but I think it should go to the person it was meant for - your son. I'm sure this is what Martin would have wanted."  
  
Picard slowly reached out his hand and took the rock. "That is a very noble gesture, Lieutenant. I will make sure that Laurent appreciates this gift as soon as he's old enough to do so."  
  
"Thank you, sir."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Lieutenant?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I hope you won't find me insensitive now for bringing this up, but... despite everything, the Enterprise needs a new first officer as soon as possible. However, I don't want you to think that I'm somehow dishonoring the memory of Commander Madden by -"  
  
"Don't worry about it, Captain," Newman interrupted quickly. "I understand."

 

  
**********

 

  
"I can't believe he's really gone," LaForge said and looked at the empty chair across the table. "I expect him to sit down any second and scold us for not ordering a drink for him while we were at it."  
  
"The irony is that I always told him that, one day, his recklessness would kill him," Burke muttered and took a sip from his ale. "He just laughed at me, of course."

"Yeah, that was Martin alright," LaForge confirmed.  
  
"Hey," Alex' voice suddenly chimed in from above. "You guys want more drinks?"

"No, I think we're good," Burke said after a quick look at the glasses. "Thanks for asking, though. Oh, and - while you're here... we're reminiscing about the good times we had with Martin. Wanna join us?"

"You sure?"  
  
"Of _course_ we are," LaForge shot back. "You knew him as well as we did, perhaps even better - he probably told you secrets that he never would've told any of _us_."  
  
Alex glanced at the bar where Jay, his chief waiter, had taken over for the moment. He wasn't overly busy, however, there weren't many customers present and the next ship-wide shift change was in two hours. "I think I have a few minutes, yes."


	6. Chapter 6

 

Picard ran his hand over his bald head and then looked up from the inquiry report that he had just finished reading. It seemed so unreal, and yet here it was, right in front of him, yellow font on black background.  
  
**'It is the verdict of this board of inquiry that, due to general recklessness and irresponsible conduct, Captain William Thomas Riker is relieved of command of the U.S.S. Titan and permanently demoted to the rank of commander. He will be assigned to Federation Outpost 8, currently under the command of Admiral Edward Jellico.'**  
  
"Jellico," Picard muttered. "Of all the officers they could have picked, they chose Jellico."

 

**********

 

"Just tell me one thing: Why did you do it?" Troi asked and looked at her ex husband, who was sitting across the small table.  
  
Riker shrugged and took another sip from his drink.  
  
"Will, this isn't a joke," she insisted. "You've lost command of the Titan because you went back for m-"  
  
Riker slammed his glass on the table, so hard that he spilled some of its content. "I don't need a lecture from you, Deanna. I hate it when you dig through my feelings without my permission and then tell me what I did and why."  
  
Troi stared at him, completely taken aback by his sudden rush of anger towards her. "You don't really mean that."  
  
"I _do_ ," Riker snapped. "We both know I went back for you because I wasn't going to accept what that Klingon renegade was about to do to you."  
  
"I could have handled myself," Troi said flatly.  
  
"Of course," Riker spat, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You could have handled yourself in a fight with an angry, lustful Klingon."  
  
"I know what's involved. I dated Worf for a while," Troi shot back - and regretted it immediately. Her former relationship with the Klingon Ambassador had always been a thorn in her ex husband's side, despite all his efforts to make it look like as if he was unaffected by it.  
  
Riker picked up his glass and gulped down the rest of his drink. "Whatever."  
  
"Will, you need to talk to someone about what happened."  
  
He put the now empty glass on the table. "I've talked enough - just in case you forgot, I had a six hour inquiry yesterday."  
  
"I'm not talking about yesterday," Troi said. "I'm talking about what happened to Martin Madden."  
  
Riker flinched. "There's nothing to talk about. He's dead."  
  
"Yes, but you were with him, and -"  
  
"Alright, that's enough." Riker stood up. "It's none of your business anymore what I think. It was a mistake to even agree to meet with you. Just leave me alone!"  
  
Troi shook her head as she watched the man she had spent so many years with march out of the bar. There was no longer any way of getting through to him - at least not for her.

But... maybe someone else would be able to do so.


	7. Chapter 7

" _Me_?" Riker exclaimed, oblivious to the fact that his rather loud outburst momentarily caught the attention of some of the other customers in Eleven Forward. "You can't be serious!"  
  
"I'd have to pull a few strings, but I'm certain it can be done," Picard said and leaned back in his chair. "Why do you think I arranged for the Enterprise to be the ship that takes you to your new assignment? I wanted to talk to you about this."  
  
Riker shook his head. "There are other officers. And besides, you can't ignore the chain of command."  
  
"I've already spoken to Commander Burke and Commander Mordock, and neither has expressed a desire to serve as first officer at this point."  
   
"Even if there's no one aboard this ship who wants the position, you still can't choose me - not with _my_ record."

Picard leaned forward. "Will, you and I both know that Edward Jellico is going to do everything in his power to dismantle what's left of your career. You won't ever be allowed to set foot on a starship again - and that, in my opinion, is a talent gone to waste." He put his hands on the table. "Granted, you won't have the option to command the Enterprise permanently if I choose to move on, but still, this _is_ better than withering away behind some desk on a remote outpost."  
  
"Haven't you been paying attention to the charges against me?" Riker snapped. "I jeopardized my entire ship and its crew - the Titan was outmanned and outgunned and I, instead of waiting for backup, decided to go on an ego trip to get just one person back."  
  
"To get _Deanna_ back," Picard corrected. "Deanna, who happened to be in the hands of a Klingon renegade who was very eager to have his way with her."  
  
Riker waved his hand. "The background information doesn't make any difference to Starfleet."

"It makes one to _me_ ," Picard insisted. "I know what it's like to be married, and I know the decisions this can force upon us."  
  
"Alex or not, y _ou_ would _never_ have risked the Enterprise."  
  
"I can't agree with that, not without having been put into that very situation myself," Picard said calmly. "Look - I know you, Will, and I also know that your life hasn't been easy in the past few months."  
  
Riker clenched his hands into fists but said nothing.  
  
"First, your father died - that sent you right back into all the unresolved issues between the two of you. Then Deanna told you she wanted a divorce because your marriage was over, which put another emotional burden on you. And then Martin Madden's death that you had to witness. Deanna's abduction by that Klingon was simply the final bit of stress that made you snap."  
  
"Whatever it was, the fact remains that Martin's death is one hell of a big reason why I shouldn't be serving aboard this ship."  
  
"No one blames _you_ for that death," Picard retorted. "Many here still know you from the old times when you were my first officer. And - Alexander tells me there are already rumors that you might be returning, and so far the response has been more than just positive. The crew thinks Starfleet judged your actions way too harshly, and they all want a chance for you to redeem yourself. In short: You _would_ be welcome here."

Riker sighed and rubbed his bearded chin. "May I... have some time to think about this?"  
  
Picard smiled innocently. "Geordi tells me there might be a little problem with the warp coils. If there is, he will have to take the warp drive offline for two or three days, which, of course, means that our journey would take a little longer than expected."  
  
"It's definitely better to be safe than sorry," Riker nodded - and then smiled for the first time in weeks. "Thanks, Jean-Luc."  
  
Picard raised his index finger. "If you choose to accept my offer, keep in mind that you _will_ have to go back to calling me 'captain', at least when we're on duty."  
  
"Forget it, then."  
  
Picard chuckled and stood up. "I have to go now. Alexander is waiting for me in our quarters."  
  
"Family time?"  
  
"Oh, it's just us. I took Laurent to sickbay earlier."  
  
"I hope he isn't ill...?"  
  
"No, it's for a thorough 24-hour routine check that our good doctor performs on all babies in their first months."  
  
"Guess I should tell you to have fun with Alex then, huh?"  
  
Picard raised an eyebrow. "Will..."  
  
Riker grinned broadly - and, deep down inside, both he and Picard knew that he had already made his decision.


End file.
